Tow for snowmobiles

ABSTRACT

A tow is provided capable of supporting from one to, roughly, five persons, including small children, to be drawn by a selfpropelled small vehicle, of which the snowmobile is the best example, up slopes as well as on a level surface. The tow is particularly applicable to carry skiers up slopes; it can be readily dismantled for storage or whatever other purpose.

United States Patent 1 1 Greene June 19, 1973 [54] TOW FOR SNOWMOBILES 1,642,184 9/1927 Urso 272/63 1,665,449 4/1928 Drake 280/19 [761 Invenwr- Greem 38 Clove 1,834,979 12 1931 Skoglund 280/12 H Monroe 10950 2,725,239 11/1955 Murray 280/18 3,280,831 10/1966 Parker 272/703 Filed: 1971 3,384,368 5/196 Fenner 272/62 [2]] App]. No.: 193,132 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 52 US. Cl. 280/19 8071497 Germany 1180/ [51] Int. Cl B621) 13/00 primary i h Johnson [58] Fleld of Search 280/18, 19, 12 H, Assistant Examingr Reinhard Ei f 280/12 A, 150 B; 105/344, 354, 329; 272/63, Atmmey prank Ledermann 57 ABSTRACT [56] References cued A tow is provided capable of supporting from one to, UNITED STATES PATENTS roughly, five persons, including small children, to be 761,737 6/1904 Wel1man.... 105/344 drawn by a self-propelled small vehicle, of which the 9 9/1906 cL 230/19 snowmobile is the best example, 111p slopes as well as on 2,829,902 4/1958 Stocker 280/1 a level surface. The tow is particularly applicable to 3,576,331 4/1971 Greene 280/18 X carry skiers p p it can be d), dismantled for storage 'or whatever other purpose.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures l I8 19 i 1 8 i TOW FOR SNOWMOBILES The usual means for transporting skiers up to the starting area of a ski slope is in the form of a costly permanent built-in structure. Consequently the number of used ski slopes is necessarily limited, while numerous other available slopes are not used because there is no way for skiers to reach their tops or any other suitable starting levels. Since snowmobiles are capable of ascending many such unused slopes, a suitably small number of skiers may conveniently be transported up them, on the instant tow.

Referring briefly to the accompanying drawings,

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an assembled tow embodying features of the present invention, with parts of the doubled-back longitudinal edge nearest the viewer broken away to show also the similarly doubledback opposite edge.

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the tow as seen along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevational tongue 11 on the upper surface of which is secured, as

by welding, a laterally extending reinforcing plate 12. An eye-bolt 13 is mounted in a hole 13 through both the plate 12 and the tongue 11. A cable or rope, not shown, is adapted to be secured to the eye of the bolt Spaced from each other and preferably positioned along the median line of the platform 10, are a pair of plates 15 which are welded to the platform, each having an upstanding nipple 16 integral therewith. The entire platform and the plates 12 and 15are preferably formed of galvanized steel. Each nipple 16 has the lower end of a post 17, preferably in the form of a pipe, registering snugly yet removeably therein.

At its upper end each post has a pipe elbow fitted thereon, the two elbows 18 having their upper ends mutually aligned and facing each other; a horizontal bar or pipe 19 has its ends again registering snugly, yet removeably, in the upper ends of the elbows. The height of the two posts 17 and hence of the bar 19 is such that'an average tallish man or woman standing on the platform with or without skis on, may conveniently hold on to the pipe, or to a post, to maintain balance while the tow is in motion.

To lock the posts within the nipples 16, a hole 20 is drilled diametrically through each nipple and post with the posts in the proper position shown, and a removeable pin 21 is passed therethrough. To dismantle the tow, the pins are withdrawn and the posts are lifted out of the nipples, and then the bar 19 may readily be withdrawn from the two elbows 18.

The two longitudinal edge portions and the rear edge portion of the platform are preferably doubled back over the top surface of the platform to provide reinforcing moldings. The molding nearest the viewer in FIG. 1 is designated by the numeral 10a and that on the opposite edges by the numeral 10b; that at the rear edge bears the numeral 10c.

To accommodate relatively shorter persons and more particularly children of varying heights, at least one and preferably several vertically spaced taut horizontal cacarry them.

bles or ropes, preferably made of Nylon, are provided; for example, those shownat 22, 23 and 24. The ends of these ropes are secured to eye-bolts 25 supported in the posts 17. The bolts 25 are preferably provided with threaded stems so that they may be locked in place by nuts 26.

In a prototype model of the instant tow, the platform 10 has a length of 8 feet and a width of 4 feet, and the doubled-back moldings 10a, 10b and 100 have a width of 2 inches. The tongue 11 is bent upward at an angle of 30 along the line 11a which is 12 inches from the front edge. The two posts 17 are spaced about five feet part and inward from the rear edge of the platform and from the line 11a.

It is now apparent that the tow may accommodate a relatively small number of persons standing on the platform and grasping either the horizontal bar 19 or, if small enough, one of the ropes below the bar, or even one of the posts. A snowmobile is capable of towing such a loaded tow up to or along slopes which would otherwise be inaccessible to skiers. The persons thus transported may of course either have their skis on or The superstructure of the tow may readily be dismantled in a number of ways. For example, the top bar 19 with the elbows l8secured thereto may be lifted from the posts 17, and then the posts may be lifted out of their nipples after first extracting the pins 21. If desired, the eye-bolts on at least one of the two posts may also be removed. Or, if the elbows 18 should be permanently attached to the bar 19 and the posts 17, the whole inverted U-shaped structure, including the ropes, may be lifted off the platform as a unit. But the example mentioned above, so that the two posts, the bar with the elbows thereon, and the ropes remaining attached to the posts, may be laid together to occupy a minimum volume of storage space. i

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A tow adapted to be drawn by a snowmobile, consisting of a platform having at the front end thereof an upwardly turned tongue provided with means for securing a tow rope thereto leading from the snowmobile,

said platform having rearward of said tongue and rigid therewith two longitudinally spaced plates positioned along the median line of the platform, each of said plates having an upstanding nipple integral therewith and centered on said median line, a hollow post registeringremoveably in each of said nipples, said posts being of equal height and having removeably register ing on the upper ends thereof hollow elbows having their upper ends facing each other and mutually aligned, a bar parallel with said platform having its ends registering in said upper ends of said elbows, said nipples and the lower ends of said posts having diametrical aligned holes extending therethrough, and removeable pins registering in said diametrical aligned holes for locking said posts in said nipples.

2. A tow according to claim 1, each of said posts having at least one eye-bolt secured thereto along a line spaced below and parallel with said bar, and a taut rope having its ends secured in said eye-bolts.

3. A tow according to claim 2,.said tongue having a transverse reinforcing plate rigid thereon, said transverse plate and said tongue'having a hole extending therethrough and positioned on said median line, said means consisting of an eye-bolt registering in said lastthe longitudinal edge portions and the rear edge pornamed hole and having the eye thereof extending tions thereof doubled back over the top surface thereof from the underside of said tongue. thereby forming reinforcing moldings.

4. A tow according to claim 3, said platform having 

1. A tow adapted to be drawn by a snowmobile, consisting of a platform having at the front end thereof an upwardly turned tongue provided with means for securing a tow rope thereto leading from the snowmobile, said platform having rearward of said tongue and rigid therewith two longitudinally spaced plates positioned along the median line of the platform, each of said plates having an upstanding nipple integral therewith and centered on said median line, a hollow post registering removeably in each of said nipples, said posts being of equal height and having removeably registering on the upper ends thereof hollow elbows having their upper ends facing each other and mutually aligned, a bar parallel with said platform having its ends registering in said upper ends of said elbows, said nipples and the lower ends of said posts having diametrical aligned holes extending therethrough, and removeable pins registering in said diametrical aligned holes for locking said posts in said nipples.
 2. A tow according to claim 1, each of said posts having at least one eye-bolt secured thereto along a line spaced below and parallel with said bar, and a taut rope having its ends secured in said eye-bolts.
 3. A tow according to claim 2, said tongue having a transverse reinforcing plate rigid thereon, said transverse plate and said tongue having a hole extending therethrough and positioned on said median line, said means consisting of an eye-bolt registering in said last-named hole and having the ''''eye'''' thereof extending from the underside of said tongue.
 4. A tow according to claim 3, said platform having the longitudinal edge portions and the rear edge portions thereof doubled back over the top surface thereof thereby forming reinforcing moldings. 